review: The Return of the King

What starts with the origins of Gollum and is the ending to one of the most epic and courageous cinematic endeavors of all time, should probably be entitled to an award of some kind. I'd even be happy if the so-called "Academy" made one up specifically for this purpose, because they always seem to snub fantasy and science-fiction films as if they are lacking some sort of dramatic or heart-rending component. I assure you Return of the King is missing none of these, and if it does not get recognized for Best Picture and Best Director the entertainment world is as hopeless as I had believed.

I imagine many people in Hollywood told Peter Jackson he was probably signing his own death certificate when he started work on the LOTR Trilogy back in 1999. If he failed it would probably end his career on the spot, not to mention let his name live forever in infamy as the man who attempted to bring Tolkien's classic saga to the big screen. Yet Jackson managed to take New Zealand's awe-inspiring scenery, place several well-known actors in exquisitely made costumes, give them tight, believable dialogue and immediately convince us we were in Middle-Earth. Success is hardly the word to describe this.

Where The Two Towers was spent following the journey of Frodo and Sam, Return of the King focuses on the ascent of Aragorn to Gondor's throne. Frodo and Sam do have prominent roles in the film as they journey closer to Mount Doom, but this movie is a climax on multiple levels, and I found that Aragorn's character progressed quite naturally in this installment.

The city of Minas Tirith is completely breathtaking. When Gandalf and Pippin first arrive and ride through its rising concentric circles, I could not believe what I was witnessing. It eventually serves as the centerpiece of one of the most well executed and beautifully directed battle sequences in recent memory. During the siege of Minas Tirith, we see catapults launching debris the size of city walls, easily crushing its ramparts and the attackers below. It is here that we truly get a sense of the battle's scale, because the pace does not let up for a second during the action that follows.

The scene where Legolas takes out an Easterling war elephant (including its crew) by himself is gives way to a well-timed one-liner from Gimli, when spirits should have been low in the face of their innumerable enemies. In another jaw-dropping scene, after Eowyn disobeys her father and rides into battle, she single-handedly decapitates a Nazgul's mount. She is then met with a truly fearsome adversary - The Witch King. When the camera revealed the length and size of his morningstar, I mentally crapped my pants. She then dispatches him with ease and another memorable one-liner. Aragorn's rallying of the Army of the Dead prompted a nice clean finish to the battle that drifted a bit into the realm of Hollywood deus ex machina, but it was still incredible to watch them devour the orc hordes.

I'll be honest and say that I would rather Liv Tyler just disappear and never get in front of the camera again. When I found out she would be supplying the role of Arwen in the Lord of the Rings, and that her part was significantly changed for these films, I feared the worst. However I am happy to report that the romance of Arwen and Aragorn is most tastefully dealt with and does not hinder the conclusion of the series.

In hindsight this seems like a frivolous point, but I found the character of Lord Denethor, Steward of Gondor and father of Boromir and Faramir to be fairly useless. Indeed he was a short-sighted and selfish man, but when Pippin sings a very sad song over Denthor's opulent and sloppily eaten dinner while intercut with Faramir's certain death in his charge on Osgiliath is one of those typical Hollywood over-the-top moments that I couldn't ignore. Honestly!

However the film clearly shows us we have made an emotional investment in these characters when Frodo and Sam are climbing the final steps of Mount Doom. Sam speaks a most unforgettable line: "I may not be able to carry your load Mr. Frodo, but I can carry you." It resonates on the same wavelength as Boromir's speech before dying in Aragorn's arms, a scene that still puts a lump in my throat every time I think about it. Sean Astin was a fucking giant in this movie, and should at the very least receive some formal recognition for this performance.

Another weighty sequence begins when the four hobbits return home to Hobbiton, greeted by a Hobbit with the same grumpy scowl as the beginning of the trilogy, even though every one of them were clothed in unconventional hobbit garments and had been gone for over a year. Nothing had changed; the troublemakers had simply returned home. However the enormity of their quest really hits home when they sit down for a drink later that night at the Green Dragon. It wasn't a drink on a typical night for the four friends, regardless of the festivities going on around them. It is the end of a journey, the culmination of all the things they have seen, all the things we have experienced with them as an audience. Tears were almost flowing at this point, and when they raised their flagons in silent appreciation of one another, we were shown a real, tangible bond between them.

Walking out of Return of the King left me feeling very satisfied, however, I can't help but think back to Fellowship. It still remains the most solid film in the trilogy for me, and I know that we were really watching the end of a 9+ hour movie with Return of the King, but for some reason to it felt excessively long. This could be the multiple "endings" that did their best to wind down this massive tale, although only the last one should have remained on the cutting room floor.

A timeless and epic story, a visual masterpiece and a saga that will be remembered forever ends with Return of the King. I admit that it makes me a bit sad that I can't look forward to next December with the same excitement - but I suppose the extended DVD will suit just fine. Peter Jackson has delivered in full force, and I'm pretty sure in a New Line boardroom somewhere they have just given the go-ahead for him to make The Hobbit.

a sleepless malice